Three months ago, I saw a female dog (Foxy) in heat being chased by a dozen male dogs. She was helpless. She was tired of running away from them. It felt like gang rape. I rescued her and carefully separated her from our male dog, Bailey. Our house was surrounded by the male dogs all night, and OH BOY, it was noisy. Early morning I got up to find our house surrounded by inspecting crowd. Some were mad at why we had the dog. Others were angry that they could not sleep. And the rest were not bothered.

A few minutes later Foxy’s family came to take her away. Foxy was meant to be a house dog, but as her owners got over her cuteness, she was left in the street and was ‘looked after’ by the family, if feeding her once a day means looking after her. I told them about the possible option and cost of spaying her and the need for them to keep her safe especially when in heat. Well, not to my amazement, Foxy has had a litter.

It breaks my heart to see homeless pups and young mothers wandering around the streets of Kathmandu (and other cities). Every six month, hundreds of new pups are born into the streets. Many puppies die before being born, and many don't survive in the harsh environment they are born into. Those that survive fight the cold weather, reckless drivers, hunger and starvation, and mean people who beat and hit them for no reason. They learn to be tough and fight for life every single day.

A week ago, I decided to organise something small to address a growing concern in my community. I had always wanted to do it, but sometimes I didn't have the time, the other times I had no money, and at times I thought it was not only my concern but that of the animal organisations, the local government or the local people. I feel sad that I waited for many years.

So after more than two years of waiting for people and organisations to fund a spay programme in my community with no success and knowing that nothing will happen if I continue to wait, we coordinated with some local vets to spay three bitches from my neighborhood. A local effort, ‘Street dogs to the vet of 4care’, led by some young vet technicians offered to spay street dogs with less than half the cost charged by the others.

All of the dogs in the picture above are young and have recently had a litter. The one on the left has five pups who are SUPER CUTE and are waiting to find their new homes. The one on the right is Sandy's mother. Sandy has been with my parents for the last two months. The one behind recently had a batch, but sadly none of her litter survived. If they were not done, in less than six months, there would be more than 20 new ones. Life is harsh for females. :(

On the night before the operation took place, I went around with my sister to locate the bitches. We talked with some of the community members and were encouraged by their genuine care and love for the dogs. Some of them, however, wanted nothing to do with stray dogs. This was painful to hear because I know this represents the voice of many in our community. Having said that many others have been and are doing a fantastic job in their communities.

The area I am currently living in has more than three dozen young puppies. One of the many pups was hit by a car and had a broken leg. I have taken her in (her name is Coal as it looks like she went to sniff some) and am hoping to find a new loving home for her.

Another issue that makes me sad and mad is the unethical dog breeding trading in the country, and I don’t know what and how this will be addressed. Many pet stores in the city sell puppies as young as 20 days old. I am not against people who want a breed dog. I have two golden retrievers, and I love them to pieces. My parents have a cocker spaniel, a mixed breed and a local who they adopted from the streets (Sandy)and they are amazing. What I am against is the unethical breeding businesses that have mushroomed all across the valley. I am sad that owning a specific breed dog has become a fashion in the country. It makes me sad to see families adoring puppies for their cuteness, bringing them home and leaving them back in the street when they discover the commitment needed.

I know this project won’t come into a being without your support. I have started with three dogs in January 2019, and with you, we can do many more by the end of the year and in the following years. With you, hopefully, we can change the situation of the stray dogs in Kathmandu.

If you are interested in helping, please give, or share in your circles. If you have ideas to make this better, please do get in touch with me. Together we can make a difference!

For $30 you can change the life of one dog forever. For $60, you will give two dogs a free life. For a hundred, you help four dogs.